[raybnz]

I was 4th Eng on the MV Cretic 1967 and we were coming into Lyttleton after a smooth trip from Brisbane.

The trip had been pretty smooth apart from the starboard Doxford had three scavenge fires on my watch the night before.(doesnt a six cylinder sound lumpy when three cylinders have the fuel turned off.)

We always rang the chief to advise him when the bridge rang down and annouced it was two hours before standby was rung. He would instruct us to keep the revs up until one hours notice was given then we would bring the revs down to 80 rpm.These two Doxfords had a critical rev range around 87 - 90 rpm and we drop thru this range fairly quickly.

I took the one hour call from the bridge then notified the chief. With the other two engineers on watch with me we started to prepare the engine room for the standby ring on the telegraphs.

We had just got both engines thru the critical speed when the engine telegraphs swung to "Full Astern". These were promptly answered and the Junior headed for the air bottles isolation valves. We pulled the fuel off both engines and I hit the panic bells.

Once we had starting air we stalled both engines as the propellers were still turning the engines over. Once we had done this we placed the engines in Astern postion and applied starting air along with fuel.

By this time the rest of the engineers were coming down the ladders and the first ones were passing thru the middles of the engine. With the fuel going on most of the cylinder relief valves lifted on both engines. There were a few stunned looking engineers arriving on the plates.

Did the chief do his nut at us but when he saw the telegraphs in the astern postion he took off for the bridge.

Evidently a observant Deck cadet noticed the Lyttleton Pilot of to Starboard and mentioned to the mate should he stop the ship which he did. Because we had answered the telegraphs so quickly the mate hadnt heard them.

Thus we came to a screaming stop.

Poor old chief got no change from the Captain and was ordered from the bridge.

Just love those Doxfords.

 

[Doxfordman]

Ah, the sound of a Doxford relief valve poping, scavange fires, the momories flood back. If you lifted a relief valve when manouvering it was a case of beer.

 

[gordy]

Ah, the sound of a Doxford relief valve poping, scavange fires, the momories flood back. If you lifted a relief valve when manouvering it was a case of beer.

On one of the Texaco Doxfords I sailed on, for an in-experienced bod, (me!), it wasn't hard to lift the RV's. I think the fuel timing was well out and it may have been the one with one left-hand cylinder liner in a right -hand engine.
Anyway, my fellow watch keeper, a T2 man, never before on motorships was with me when I got my 1st go at driving, (entering the Keil canal), he was on the bell book and was not impressed when I lifted a few and soot drifted down and spoiled the nice clean page on the book. The Chief, a real gent, just wandered along to the sticks and quietly said, 'a little less air'. The other 4th had just gone up to get a brew while we were in the lock, and the 2nd was in the mess room. He mentioned to the 2nd that I was a new driver and he made a dash for the e/r, but just then I got the start to come out the locks and got it clean. My driving career had started(Hippy)

 

[Mike S]

One of my uncles long since departed God rest his soul was chief in Headlams (spelling?). He was relieving the 2nd for a meal break on the controls of his favourite Doxford and used to love to stir the very nervous Master.
The ship in question had the fiddley between the funnel and the bridge and he delighted in lifting the odd relief valve which would send the Master running around the bridge like a shot hare!
As he was guarantee Chief in the fleet at the time his evil sense of humour could be allowed a free reign!